Variations
by Squirrel holding a bazooka
Summary: They say that everyone will have at least one experience in life that will shake you to your core. For Danny, being shaken to the core is becoming a near-daily issue, especially when he's working with the enemy and someone's stolen his life right out from under him.
1. Variations Due to the Love of Others

I don't own Danny Phantom. Takes place after Secret Weapons.

* * *

Danny felt kind of creepy, just sitting there in the dark. However, creepy was definitely what he was going for. If he wanted to come out of this with what he wanted, the element of surprise was his number one ally. Still, Danny wasn't too enthused with the idea of sitting in the recliner in his arch enemy's bedroom. This would only be the seventh time in his life Danny had met Vlad and undoubtedly the scariest.

_Creeeaaaakkk- thud_

For a billionaire, one would think Vlad could get some graphite or WD-40 for those squeaky doors.

"You've got a deal, Masters," Danny said coldly as Vlad turned on the light.

The elder halfa furrowed his eyebrows, taken aback by the teen's presence but not completely startled. "Daniel, what are you doing here?" he asked. "I thought we'd already settled yesterday's problem when you tried to blow me up."

Danny only glared, his lips forming a straight line. One deep breath later, and Danny declared, "I've already told you; I'm here for a deal." He hadn't been able to sleep the night before, his mind racing at the speed of light. With the way things were going, Vlad would probably make a mistake and accidentally allow Dark Dan to be created. But that wasn't all. Their fights were getting worse, involving other people, manipulating them and setting them in the line of fire.

"A deal?" Vlad asked, suddenly interested. He walked closer to Danny and sat down on the bed, not quite across from Danny but pretty close. "What kind of deal?" Was he finally getting his way? Was the little badger giving up?

"I'll be your apprentice," Danny declared. Yeah... he was giving in- but not without a compromise. "If you stop hurting people, stop _killing_ them, stop _stealing_... then I'll be your apprentice."

The gray-haired man smirked. He was getting his way- after all, that was his main reason for doing all that he did. "Well, Daniel, I'm glad you finally-"

"Not done," Danny cut the man off, ice in his voice. He scooted up in his chair, leaning forward to glare at the elder halfa. "No hurting, no killing, no stealing, no trying to get my mom from my dad, no trying to convince me to be some evil psycho. You break any of my rules, and I tell my parents everything. We'll pack up, leave Amity Park, and you'll never see any of us again. I'll tell everyone who you are, what you've done, and you'll go down in flames. Do you understand?"

Vlad pulled back in his seat a little, surprised by the boy's forwardness. He forced his face not to betray his surprise, instead taking a moment to collect himself. "Will you call me your dad?"

"Uncle Vlad," the younger halfa corrected. "My dad is my dad, and he's the only one who deserves to be called that."

"Fine, but you'll at least spend summers and spring breaks with me," Vlad countered, both his and Danny's speech quickening.

"Only until college, then summers are with my parents."

"I get to come over to visit you in Amity Park at least once a month."

"When you do, don't even look at my sister; I don't want her getting drawn into this again."

"Deal."

"Deal." Danny pulled away once more and leaned back in the chair. "I guessed the summer thing would be one of your caveats, so I already told my parents I'd be staying here for the summer."

"Well then," Vlad nodded slowly, "you recall where your room was when you last stayed here... Good night."

"Good night." Without another word, Danny got up and headed towards his room.

* * *

There was a bit of static on the phone as the teen boy rummaged through the dresser, looking for something halfway decent to wear the next day. "Seriously, how the hell can this kid wear practically the same thing every day?" he asked no one in particular, a heavy Dutch accent lacing his voice. "Ugh, it's all the same." He pulled out a random t-shirt and held it up to his chest, wrinkling his nose at the repulsive material.

"Well, if he only wears one thing, so will you for the summer," the voice on the other end of the line, this one American, ordered. Expecting an objection, he quickly added in, "And the reason I'm in charge is because my dad is FBI, and I'm the reason we all got this together."

"Yeah, remind me to thank you for dragging me into hell," the burglar scoffed.

The teen on the other end of the line smirked, leaning back in his chair. "Any time, Scott. Any time."

The burgling teen rolled his eyes and pulled the phone away from his ear, snapping the silver device shut. He picked up another shirt and held it to his chest, checking out his body in the mirror. A body that matched Danny's. A face that matched as well. In fact, everything about the burglar matched Danny except for for his dark eyeliner and better-groomed hair. He glanced to the mirror's frame to see a photo of Danny, Sam, and Tucker, their arms linked.

"Okay, pretty boy, let's see how we can work this out," he muttered to himself.

* * *

Danny woke up feeling surprisingly refreshed for having fought most of the night before and getting little sleep from the remainder. He stretched out his back and rolled his head, desperately trying to relieve the tension in his muscles. "Good morning, little badger," Vlad said as he walked into Danny's room, annoyingly chipper.

The teenage halfa moaned and rolled over, using a pillow to cover his head. "What is the matter with you affably evil people?" he whined, voice muffled by the pillow. "I swear, early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and ready to destroy the world..."

Vlad only pulled the pillow off of Danny's head and yanked the sheets down. "You said you'd be my apprentice, and despite what you may have believed, that means getting up early and training to use your powers."

Of course, like most teens did in the morning, Danny moaned as he dragged himself out of bed. "What've I gotten myself into?" he muttered, transforming and stomping off towards the lab. It didn't even occur to the poor boy that he could just phase through the floor. Vlad took the quick way and was there by the time Danny arrived.

"Honestly, I'm surprised you know what 'affable' means," Vlad mentioned as the boy walked into the room.

"CAT word," Danny explained. "Jazz helped me study." He stretched his arms out and looked around the room. "So what are you gonna have me do first? Ecto-blasts, invisibility, flight?"

Vlad shook his head and picked up a gun. A regular, human... _gun_. "None of the above. From what I hear, you've been involved with time quite a bit lately." He cocked the weapon and aimed it at Danny. "Stop the bullet, simple as that."

"Whoa, what?" Danny asked, throwing his hands up defensively. "No, no, no, no, no, Vlad- er, Uncle Vlad- I got help from a ghost involved with time, but there's no way in hell I'm stopping that bullet!" He took a few steps back, his eyes wide with fear. There was no way Vlad would actually shoot him, right?

"I'll give you until the count of three, Daniel," Vlad told the younger halfa. "One..."

_Don't worry._

"Two..."

_I've got this._

"Three."

As the bullet left its chamber, the world around Danny stopped. The teen looked Vlad and the weapon up and down, approaching warily. Almost without his intending to, he reached out and picked the bullet out of the air. He studied it as time resumed, Vlad's clapping only in the back of his mind. "I didn't do that," Danny whispered, his comment missed by Vlad completely. The voice in his head... it wasn't his. It sure sounded like him, but Danny wasn't the one to think it.

"Now for your next task!" Vlad cheered, as if this was all some sort of game. Something told Danny he wouldn't be able to think about the issue with the voice until later.

* * *

Scott clomped down the stairs in Danny's pajamas, knowing 'his' family would be expecting to see him in his usual garb. He stomped slowly to the kitchen, just like any other teenager would. It was breakfast time, and Scott hadn't had any food the day before. As he reached for the handle on the refrigerator, he caught sight of a note. He pulled the yellow paper out from under the magnet and read aloud, his Dutch accent still strong.

"Dear Danny, went with Jazz to check out Harvard for four days. Meals are in the freezer, put in the microwave for twenty minutes. No wild parties, no messing around in the lab. Love you. Mom and Dad."

Scott rolled his eyes and tossed the note over his shoulder, opening the fridge and pulling out a jug of orange juice. As he walked to what he could only assume was the pantry, he contemplated just how to go about fooling Danny's family and friends. Scott opened the pantry door and pulled out a box of cereal, opening it and pouring some into his mouth.

The schematics for the house were up in Danny's room in Scott's jacket pocket, though the teen had spent so much time memorizing them that he no longer needed them. He walked into the TV room and pulled open a drawer labeled 'home videos.' The teen raided through the tapes and DVDs until he found one with a current date and Danny's name on it. He popped the DVD in the player and waited for the footage to start.

The film showed Danny at age fourteen, not quite a year ago. The background suggested the teen was in the country, outside a cabin. "Ugh, do I have to say it?" Video Danny asked. The camera shook up and down, and a groan escaped Danny. "Fine," he sighed. "Happy divorce-iversary Aunt Alicia."

A laugh came from the other side of the camera. "Wow, I can't believe you actually said it," a young, female voice said between giggles.

"Shut up, Jazz!" Danny objected, and for a brief second, Scott could have sword his identical's eyes turned green. "Fink..."

"You're the one who fell for it."

Danny rolled his eyes. "Buzz off!"

As the video ended, Scott settled back on the couch and began mimicking Danny's accent, trying to copy it perfectly. "Buzz off," Scott said, his voice just as angry as Danny's but still half-Dutch. Instantly, Scott fell back into his Dutch accent. "No, no..." he muttered to himself. He corrected himself and used a calm voice. "Buzz off," he repeated, this time coming up with an accent nearly identical to Danny's. "Buzz off."

The teen repeated the simple phrase until the phone rang. A 1-800 number, probably just some telemarketer. Scott answered the phone with a, "Buzz off!" and hung right back up. When the phone rang a second time, he gave the same greeting without checking the caller ID.

"Danny, what the hell?" a female voice came over the speaker. "It's Sam."

Scott blinked, his mind instantly bringing up all the information he had on Sam Manson. Arrested twice for disturbing the peace at a couple of protests, though she got out of it thanks to her family's money. She, Danny, and Tucker were all best friends since kindergarten, but she was careful not to drag either of them into her troubles. Goth, naturally blonde hair dyed black, ultra-recyclo vegetarian.

"Oh, uh, hey Sam," Scott greeted his so-called friend. "What's up?" He traveled up the stairs and began changing into some of Danny's clothes.

"What's up?" Sam echoed. "Danny, you were supposed to meet us at the park twenty minutes ago!"

Scott froze, wondering just how he had missed that. He'd had Mr. FBI tapping Danny's phone for a week. "Right..." he replied slowly, rushing around to pull on a pair of jeans. "I'll... uh... I'll be there soon. My parents are out of town, and I overslept."

"No surprise there," Sam muttered as Scott slipped over one of Danny's dirty socks, falling on his face. "Danny? Are you okay?" Without waiting for an answer, she went on, "Okay, you know what, just get here fast. Fly if you have to, I don't care."

"Fly?" Scott asked, raising an eyebrow as he stood up, mussing his hair to look more like Danny. "Yeah, yeah, I'm on my way." Scott hung up the phone and checked his appearance before he disappeared from existence in a spark of blue, reappearing instantly at the entrance to the park.

The teen walked inside the park gates and immediately saw Sam and Tucker sitting on a park bench. "Hey, Sam, Tuck!" he called to them, being careful to use Danny's voice. "Sorry I'm late!"

* * *

Ooo, Danny's got another Danny (with powers)! And he's made a deal with the devil! Now, I'll admit that this was inspired by two different TV shows. The first to find out either of them gets a feature in the story. Now... go forth and figure it out!  
Please review.


	2. Variations Due to Fear

MsFrizzle: I realized my little faux pas shortly after posting, and fear not, I have a simple solution. I'm just going to say the Fentons didn't expect Danny to leave until a day before they got back. ;) As for Scott's disguise... well, you'll just have to wait and see.

* * *

A deep sigh escaped Scott as he arrived back at Danny's house, his stomach in knots. No, no, no, he wasn't supposed to be nervous! He had to keep up with his little charade and fool Danny's friends and family, not choke and wimp out at the first sign of trouble. Still, he hadn't expected that... that... that _thing_ to come out of nowhere and attack him!

_Scott screamed in surprise, falling back on his butt as the creature revealed itself, sending out some sort of blast that nearly seared the teen. And here he thought he was the only one with the ability to teleport. Well, him and-_

_"You're looking a little weak, whelp," the creature declared, a smirk on his robotic face. "Makes it better to skin you alive." As the creature advanced, Scott rolled out of its path, scrambling to his feet and running off. As Scott ran off, he pulled Sam and Tucker along with him, not wanting Danny's friends to get hurt._

_"Danny, what are you doing?" Sam yelled over the sound of Skulker's jets as he raced after them, gaining rapidly. "Are you out of your mind?!"_

_"Use your powers; trap him in the Fenton Thermos!" Tucker ordered, just as surprised as Sam at their friend's escape attempt._

_Powers? Yeah, powers. Scott had powers, and if Danny had the same, it wouldn't be too strange if he'd told his friends. Scott stopped on a dime and turned around, throwing his hand out like he was pushing something. Much to Sam and Tucker's surprise, Skulker went flying back, crashing into a tree. "Looks like we won't have much time before he recovers," Scott observed. "Come on." He grabbed the two humans once more and teleported to the other end of the park, far from the mechanical creature's view._

_When Scott turned to Danny's friends, he saw... well, not what he was expecting. The duo stared at Scott, eyes wide and jaws dropped._

_Sam blinked twice before she finally managed to gather her wits about her. "What the hell, Danny?" she asked. "Why didn't you tell us you could teleport now? And that you can move things with your mind?"_

_"Yeah, dude, zapping from point A to point B is gonna be way faster than flying," Tucker nodded. "We're never gonna be late to the movies again!"_

_"Yes, because that's the most important thing about Danny getting new powers," Sam replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Danny, you could beat Vlad with this," she explained. "He'll never see it coming the next time he attacks."_

_"Uh..." Scott couldn't come up with the proper words. Flying? New powers? Last time Scott checked, flying wasn't one of the four abilities he had. None of his... erm... associates had anything other than the four. And who the heck was Vlad? Rather, why was Vlad a threat? His research had told him Vlad Masters was just an old college friend of Danny's parents. Not a problem, but if Sam and Tucker said he was... "Yeah," Scott nodded. "He won't be a match for me. Cause of my new powers. The new ones. Not the old ones."_

_Sam and Tucker shared a worried look before turning back to their friend. "You okay, dude?" Tucker asked. "Did Desiree zap you again or something?"_

_Scott nodded rapidly, trying to keep up with the informed ghost hunters. "Yeah, yeah, she... she must've got me good. I should go home and rest so I can... get better... and... stuff." In a flash, Scott was gone, back at Fenton Works._

As the teen headed over to the kitchen, knowing the Fentons' lab was below it, he found himself falling on his face, caught by a trip wire. "What the..." he began only, to be cut off by someone kicking him in the side and forcing him onto his back. Scott let out a cry of pain and looked up to see the mechanical creature from the park. Quickly, Scott teleported across the room, determined to get away from the creature while still getting answers. Scott was plenty used to _people_ chasing after him, but never a... well, whatever that thing was.

Before Scott could use his telekinesis on the creature again, it pulled out some sort of gun and shot it, a green blast knocking Scott off his feet. The teen blinked, his head spinning, and Skulker grabbed him by the collar, a glowing knife appearing in his hand from the ghost's metal arm. "I've finally got you, whelp," he smirked, raising his hand for the kill.

Scott did the only thing he thought could save his skin. "I'm not Danny!"

* * *

Danny lazily tossed a ball of ectoplasm between his hands, waiting for Vlad to get off his phone. He spun the ball on the tip of his finger, only to have it spin off on its own and crash into a lamp. After a brief moment of staring, he turned on his 'I did nothing wrong' face and smiled at Vlad, ignoring the glare sent his way.

"Yes, I understand completely," Vlad nodded, getting back to his phone call. "I'll be there as soon as possible. I just need to get a sitter for my nephew... Alright, thank you." The billionaire hung up the phone and turned to Danny. "Well, it looks like you've lucked out. I have to go into the office for a brief while, so you'll not have any training for the rest of the afternoon. I'll have Skulker watch you."

"Skulker?" Danny asked, an eyebrow raised. "You do know he wants my _pelt_, right?"

Vlad sighed and shook his head. "Fear not, he'll be under strict instruction not to harm you, despite what he wishes." He dialed another number on his phone and waited two rings before he began speaking. "Skulker, I need you at my mansion ten minutes ago," he declared, though it sounded much more like an order. "I don't care what you're doing; stop doing it and get over here." Vlad hung up the phone and turned to Danny once more.

The teen blinked, unimpressed with his babysitter. "I'm fifteen; I don't need someone to watch me."

One raised eyebrow was Vlad's reply. "Pardon me if I don't trust you not to destroy my lab and all my experiments while I'm gone," he apologized snidely.

"Depends. Do you have any experiments that _should_ be destroyed?" Danny demanded. "I'm not an idiot. You break your end of the bargain, and I'll tear you to shreds, regardless of whether or not it reveals my secret identity in the process."

Vlad sighed and shook his head. "Fear not, Daniel. My experiments will cause no harm to anyone. They are just... a bit temperamental. If someone gets too close, I have a few things that may combust. Obviously, that's not in either of our best interests. I'd hate to see my experiments go, and you... well, I'm sure you like your skin."

Danny rolled his eyes and sat back in his chair just as Skulker flew through the ceiling. "Hi," the teen said, unenthused.

* * *

With Skulker caught off guard, Scott scrambled to his feet and grabbed a weapon from the knife block. He pointed the blade at the creature, trying to stop his hand from shaking. Sure, he'd been attacked by people before, but never a... whatever that _thing_ was. "Who are you?" he demanded.

"I could ask you the same question," Skulker replied. "Obviously, you're not too involved with ghosts, or you'd know that silly little thing could never hurt me."

"I'm Scott- wait, _ghosts_?"

Before Skulker could answer, a ringing filled the room, and he pulled out a phone. "I'm busy," he said gruffly into the speaker. A brief pause later, and he appeared to turn into a five-year-old. "But Plasmius, I'm-" He was cut off. Scott remained standing, the knife aimed at Skulker. The ghost sighed and hung up the phone, glaring at Scott and waving the knife at him. "We'll finish this later."

With that, Skulker flew up, right through the ceiling, Scott watching after in awe. Quickly, he put the knife back in its spot and pulled his phone out of his back pocket, shaky fingers pressing speed dial number two.

"Hey, you've reached Matt Waller. I can't come to the phone right now, so leave your name and number at the beep." As Scott listened to the voice mail, he realized just how similar Matt sounded to both himself using an American accent and Danny. Of course, it shouldn't have surprised him; they were identical.

"What the hell?" Scott demanded, back to his Dutch accent. "You're Mr. FBI guy, why didn't you tell me Danny had other powers? He's got _things_ comin' after him! _Ghosts_! Ugh... Dammit, Matt, answer your phone!" Scott slammed the phone shut and ran his fingers through his hair, trying to come up with a solution to his problem.

* * *

Danny was back to playing with a ball of ectoplasm, this time with Skulker looking after him. Surprisingly, the ghostly hunter was rather talkative today. "So who's your friend? That Scott kid?" he asked, earning a confused look from Danny.

"Who?" the teen asked, an eyebrow raised. "I don't know anyone named Scott." He killed the ball of ectoplasm in his hand and straightened up in his seat.

"Really?" Skulker asked. "'Cause Scott sure knows you." He looked the teen up and down, seeking out any difference between the boy before him and the teen he'd dealt with back in Amity Park. There was a long pause before Skulker confessed, "You're identical." Another pause. "Really, really identical."

Danny snorted. "You do know that people are either identical or their not, and since I don't have a twin brother, you probably just saw someone who looked kind of similar to me," he told the ghost. "There's no way I could have someone in the world who is exactly identical to me. Trust me, I took biology last year."

"If you asked your little friends, they'd say you were at the park with them this morning," Skulker insisted, trying to keep his cool. "They thought the little copy cat was you. He could use telekinesis and teleport, too."

The teen halfa sat up in his chair, eyes narrowing. "So you're really telling me there's someone running around Amity Park with my face, just pretending to be me?" he asked. "Why?"

Skulker shrugged. "The brat wouldn't tell me before Plasmius called. Of course, I could always go back and find out... for a price." _All I know is that he didn't have a clue about ghosts._

The teen furrowed his eyebrows, wondering if he was hearing voices. This was the second time today he could have sworn he heard a voice in his head that wasn't his. "What do you want?" Danny finally asked with a sigh. If someone was running around pretending to be him, who knew what kind of trouble he could cause?

"Just some... _insurance_ that your parents' ghost tracking devices will suddenly be a little... glitchy," Skulker told the boy.

"Done," Danny nodded. "Now please, find out as much about this guy as you can." The only thing that immediately came to mind was Dan trying to pass himself off as Danny once more, but what would be the point in calling himself Scott to other ghosts? Realizing that Skulker was still there, Danny gave Skulker a warning look. "Well?"

Skulker didn't need to be told again and flew off, Danny heading towards Vlad's lab. Maybe he was involved in this fake. It was, after all, oh so convenient that this double took over Danny's live after he left to stay with Vlad.

* * *

Thanks for reading, guys! Keep guessing the shows! The first to guess either of them gets to be a character in the story! Hint: the shows are from two different networks.


	3. Variations Over Control

MsFrizzle: Well, Skulker won't be reporting back to Danny for a little while, but fear not! As for Vlad's business dealings, Danny's going to find himself involved with them pretty soon.

* * *

Scott sat on the couch in the den, his eyes switching back and forth between the television and his phone. When the latter finally did ring, the phone flew off the table and into Scott's hand. "Finally!" he exclaimed as he answered the call. "What took you so long? Matt, you never told me about ghosts!"

On the other end of the line, a teenage boy equally identical to both Danny and Scott, the only difference being that his hair was styled in a buzz cut, furrowed his dark brows. "Ghosts?" he echoed, doubtful. "Those don't exist. Don't say you're going schizo on me, Scott." He sat down at his desk chair, leaning back in it.

"No, Matt, I'm not crazy," Scott insisted. "This thing showed up and attacked me thinking I was Danny, and then it said it was a ghost." Scott turned on the couch so he was lying down, his head on one of the arm rests. "It _flew_ through the _ceiling_."

Matt leaned forward in his chair and, holding his phone up with telekinesis, began to surf the web. "Alright," he said as a webpage popped up, "it says here that ghost activity has become prominent in Amity Park since the emergence of a superhero named Danny Phantom. Common ghosts in the area include Phantom himself, the Box Ghost, Skulker, and a couple named Johnny 13 and Kitty."

Scott instantly sat up, vindication written all over his face. "Ha! I told you!" he smirked. "Now tell me, how am I supposed to deal with ghosts being all over my hide?"

"Well, Danny's parents are ghost hunters," Matt offered. "Maybe they've got some stuff to stop 'em. It's either that or call Ghost Busters."

"Ha ha," Scott replied dully. "I'll see what they've got. Any advice for dealing with Danny's friends? They know he's got powers, but not our type of powers. They kept on saying he could fly."

"Fenton, Phantom, they're really kind of similar," Matt mentioned. "Maybe there's some way Danny's both."

"Because being a ghost and alive at the same time is totally plausible." Scott definitely felt like Captain Snark today. At least he deserved to be, nearly getting killed by some psycho ghost. A sigh escaped him, he being unable to think of any other way Danny could fly. As far as he knew, Danny hadn't learned of any of his four powers, and for him to discover a fifth without the others seemed highly unlikely. "Okay, okay, um, do you have anything else on the others? How're they doing?"

Matt shook his head and bit his lip. "Conner's freaking out," he explained. "Told his parents today after they caught him using telekinesis, and they kicked him out. He's hiding out in the palace."

A snort escaped Scott. "Palace my ass," he muttered. Their so-called 'palace' was a place they could go if they ever felt the need to get away or talk to someone who understood them or, well, if their parents kicked them out. An abandoned bunker from the Cold War could hardly be considered a palace, but for Scott, and apparently now Conner, it was all they had. "Does he need me to check on him?"

Slowly, Matt took a breath and shifted in his seat. "Yeah," he agreed. "He could use someone who understands."

"Alright, I'm on my way." Scott hung up the phone, put it in his back pocket, and teleported off to the bunker.

* * *

"Daniel James Fenton, what did you do with Skulker?" Vlad demanded as he came back to the parlor after searching all over his mansion for the metallic ghost. If Danny had done something to mess up his dealings, there would be hell to pay.

The teen just shrugged. "I sent him on an errand," Danny explained. "I didn't mess up anything." When Danny had gone down to Vlad's lab, all he'd found were a few vials of ectoplasm and some prototype ghost weapons.

Vlad raised his eyebrows, doubting Danny's every word. _I'll skin that boy alive if he broke anything_, the halfa thought.

"I just told you, I didn't break anything!" Danny insisted. "For you to say otherwise is a bad way to start off an alliance." Of course, sneaking around was another bad way to start an alliance, but still!

"I didn't say anything, Daniel," Vlad sighed. _Teenagers, always jumping to conclusions._

Danny stood up and crossed his arms. "I am not jumping to conclusions!"

Vlad stared down the younger halfa, confusion in his eyes. _Are you reading my mind?_

The boy's eyes widened in realization, and he tried to take a step back, falling into his chair once more. "I think I am," he confessed. His confused face contorted into worry, and he looked around the room, trying to put his own thoughts together. "Holy crap, I can read minds, what the hell is going on?" Danny ranted, jumping back up and beginning to pace. "Okay, I'm freaking out, I'm reading minds- and would you STOP THINKING SO LOUDLY?" Suddenly, Danny's mind began to race, filling with the thoughts of others, thoughts from miles away.

Never before had Vlad heard that someone was thinking too loud. "I'm sorry, little badger, but I think that's just you," Vlad informed him. Seeing Danny just continue to pace, growing more rapid by the second, Vlad sighed and reached out, grabbing the boy. Looking at the boy's downturned head, Vlad ordered, "Daniel, you must calm down! Once you go back to Amity Park, there will be thousands of minds crashing into yours, and if you can't handle it and block them out, it will consume you!"

Slowly, Danny looked up, revealing the tears that filled his eyes. "I'm scared," he whispered, the single confession nearly making Vlad pull back. Stubborn as he was, Danny never revealed his fear or worries. "I can hear it. Everything, everyone's minds for miles... They're so loud. The happiness, the sorrow, the worries- everyone in this world is so scared. Of themselves, of their friends, of their inner demons, of taxes and silly little things no one should ever worry about. I can hear it all, feel it all!" Danny's voice grew soft. "Vlad, it's killing me."

Instantly, Vlad grabbed the boy and pulled him into a hug, rocking him back and forth slowly. "It's okay, little badger," Vlad whispered. "It's all gonna be okay. Just listen to my voice. Don't worry about what I'm thinking. Just listen to my words. Relax. Don't think. Just listen. That's all you have to do."

Danny's sobs broke through to soft cries, and Vlad felt the boy's weight getting heavier and heavier as he spoke. Soon, the weight simply dropped, and Vlad knew the teen had passed out, undoubtedly from the stress. He lifted up Danny and carried him off to his room, laying him down in bed. "Good night, little badger," he whispered, placing a gentle kiss on Danny's forehead.

* * *

Scott apparated in a long, cold hallway made entirely of concrete. He knew the way perfectly, his legs carrying him down the hall, a left, a right, and another left to a large, open area with a leather sofa, TV with video game system, refrigerator, and other amenities. Lying on the sofa was yet another Danny look alike, this one with short, spiky hair. Scott let out a sigh and walked up to the teen, giving him a light kick in the stomach.

"Oi," he said, though instead of the callous aura that one would expect, Scott held one of compassion. "No moping, Conner, ya hear?"

Conner squinted his eyes, looking just about ready to slap Scott upside the head. "Are you out of your damn mind?" he asked, getting to his feet. "My parents just kicked me out! You don't get to be a snarky little ass about it! I'm a freak, Scott! I'm a superpowered, clone freak!"

That earned Conner a punch in the jaw, knocking him to the ground. Scott squatted down and tilted his head, frowning at Conner. "Yeah, hi, my name is Scott, I've got the same deal going on as you, and I've spent my life on the run before I found you lot. Wanna recant your pity party?"

The doppelganger lunged upward, tackling Scott to the floor. Instantly, Conner started throwing punches, only stopping once Scott's nose was a bit bloody. "You okay now?" Scott asked as Conner pulled back, both getting to their feet.

Conner nodded, tears forming in his eyes but refusing to fall. "I hate them," he whispered. "I told them the truth, I told them everything they wanted to know, that I was sorry I kept my powers a secret... and they kicked me out. Said they'd call the police if I didn't leave."

Scott clapped a hand on his friend's shoulder, the best form of comfort Conner would get from him. "You steal their shit?" he asked, a mischievous grin on his face as Conner pointed to the fridge.

"Beer and wine's in there; I'm already drunk."

A nod was the response. "Yeah, I could tell," Scott assured him. "Welcome to the land of the outlaws, brother. I suggest you learn to get used to using your powers to steal food, or we'll starve. Too bad we can't ransack your folks' place; they know what you look like."

Conner snorted and shook his head, falling back on the couch and grabbing a bottle of beer from between the cushions.

* * *

Hehehe, so many metaphors. It's my favorite to stick those in there. Keep guessing on the two shows and reviewing, my lovelies!


End file.
